


trust your heart, for once

by WendigoBaby



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Canon Rewrite, Fix-It, M/M, how the scene should have gone, post 2x12
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-15
Updated: 2017-06-15
Packaged: 2018-11-14 09:08:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11204853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WendigoBaby/pseuds/WendigoBaby
Summary: This is for everyone feeling cheated and bitter about 2x12; I've rewritten it into something much more plausible in my books,.





	trust your heart, for once

**Author's Note:**

> i have no words aside from: the showrunners can meet me in the pit

After Alec comes back from Magnus’, he feels so agitated and uneasy, that even the fact that he banished Azazel back to Hell with a single arrow doesn’t help his mood, his pride pushed fully aside in favor of racing thoughts. He reports mechanically to the Clave, leaving out certain details that stick to his mind and ignite his suspicious nature.

 

On one hand, he can understand Magnus’ strange behavior because of their somewhat failed summoning, but at the same time, even when tired or angry or even hurt, Magnus has never been this clipped and terse with him. It’s not the fact that he refuses to help Alec when he calls, because that has happened in the past and for good reasons, but not being given any explanation beyond being busy is unlike his boyfriend, usually attentive and understanding towards everyone he harbors some kind of affection for. Everything from cryptic words to Magnus not responding to his touch, leaves Alec feeling wrong and thrown off-kilter.

 

He stomps into the camera room outside of Valentine’s holding cell and with crossed arms, he watches the footage, blinking when a shoe hits the lens, jostling it.

 

“I know you’re listening! Please, I’m not Valentine, I’m Magnus Bane!” He hears the man call, sound muffled over the speakers. Anger blooms heavy inside his guts at the very notion that this maniacal murderer could even say the name, what’s more pose as Magnus, when clearly, _clearly_ it’s Valentine-goddamn-Morgenstern; a delusional racist hell-bent on destroying the Downworld. Alec feels sick thinking about it, feels resentment beneath his skin itching to be let out, to pay back in violent justice for everything this man, this monster, has ever done.

 

Without thinking, his feet carry him over in large strides and he yanks the cell door open, pushing Valentine up against the wall. “That’s enough!”

 

This has to be a trick, a practical joke – Valentine speaks, says _Alexander_ , which stings, because it reminds him of Magnus once again, of the soft cadence of his voice, eerily similar to what he just heard. Nothing makes sense; when he was shackling Valentine up before the summoning, he looked into his eyes – mad and defiant and unapologetic to the last moments, but here, here Alec sees fear and desperation, a hint of tears catching on the hollowed out light from above. He presses his forearm against Valentine’s chest to keep him contained and feels a rabbiting heart beating heavily against his ribcage. Fingers grip tightly at his arms and Alec wants to shake them off, but he’s caught up in the disjointed conversation.

 

“I’m Magnus. Azazel switched us with a curse, _unum ad unum_.” Valentine’s voice trembles as he talks with a wild kind of urgency, eyes fixed on Alec’s, too soft for a Morgernstern. Alec feels doused with doubt, cold tendrils of it coiling in his stomach. It doesn’t seem real, but now Alec can’t get the thought out of his head, like a song stuck playing on repeat.

 

“You gave me that omamori charm, that I carry with me every day. It was after our night in Tokyo-“ Memories flood Alec’s mind – when he snuck off to buy the omamori, because he wanted Magnus to have something from him, to remind him that Alec loves him and cares for his well-being, when they kissed and Magnus’ hands were warm and steady at the small of his back, when kisses slowly turned into something far more intimate.

 

It doesn’t make sense, Alec thinks, as the world fades into background noise, only his fighter’s instinct keeping who he thinks is Valentine from grappling him into a vulnerable position.

 

“Stop. Stop!” He yells and the echo is the only sound left until their breathing fills the empty space. How could Valentine know details from his and Magnus’ life together, those moments captured in time with such accuracy? The doubt settles heavier, claws its way up to Alec’s throat and threatens to cut off the air. He can feel his hand trembling, while he holds Valentine at a distance. He shouldn’t trust anything that comes out of his mouth, because if Alec knows anything about him, it’s that he’s a villainous, lying snake ready to sink teeth into anyone that moves too close.

 

Yet, maybe it’s true, Alec thinks. Maybe this is Magnus, trapped inside of his mortal enemy and with nobody except Alec to believe him. Maybe it’s just an elaborate plan to get out of here and continue the rampage of destruction and if so, Alec’s head would end up on a stick in front of the Inquisitor before five minutes pass.

 

Self-doubt was always a close companion of Alec’s, ever since he started trying to fit himself into the mold of an emotionless leader; logic and proof and hard facts, not emotions or intuition. Alec can’t help but struggle with his judgement, something pained pressing against his ribs.

 

“How do you know these things?”

 

“Because it’s me, Alexander. The day of Valentine’s massacre , you told me that you loved me.” Alec stares unblinkingly at the panicked tremors of Valentine’s lower lip until his eyes start to burn and he presses them shut, that awful fear coming back to him, a memory of not knowing whether Magnus was still breathing after the Soul Sword was activated.

 

He turns away, scrubbing both hands over his face in frustration. All of this feels like a sick fever-induced nightmare and Alec can’t help but pace in front of the glass like a trapped animal. He quickly tries to list all of the pros and cons, tries to put his thoughts into logical patterns.

 

Could this be a lie? Always. Alec doesn’t doubt that, because Valentine could be 5 steps ahead of everyone and planning to use Alec’s weakpoints against him in case things go awry, maybe with a help of some spell they didn’t know about or maybe just through the sheer power of manipulation – after what happened to Jace, anything is possible.

 

At the same time, he could be telling the truth; this could be Magnus counting on him for help, calling out for the person he loves. This could be Magnus – terrified and left alone in an empty cell with everyone thinking he’s Valentine. There’s a chance love of Alec’s life could be trapped in a body that doesn’t belong to him, hopeless and helpless without his magic.

 

Alec can’t bear that possibility.

 

He pulls his phone out of his pocket, almost drops it with trembling fingers and hits the green phone icon next to ‘Magnus’. Seconds stretch out while he’s waiting and then there’s the click of a picked up call. Before he can get any word in, there’s Magnus’ voice snapping at him.

 

“Alec, do you not understand what the words _‘I’m busy’_ mean? I-“

 

He swallows at the tinge of distorted anger directed at him, but pushes past it. He looks over at maybe-Valentine, who’s watching Alec with hope written all over his face. “I have one question and then I’ll leave you alone.”

 

“What is it then?”

 

Alec’s brain quickly jumps from one personal detail to another, searching for something that only the real Magnus would know.

 

“Do you remember what you answered me, when I told you that relationships take effort?” He asks, his heart right in his throat as silence falls on the other side, followed by an annoyed scoff.

 

“Why would I remember all of our conversations?”

 

It’s enough proof for Alec.

 

“Sorry for bothering you then. Bye.” He forces himself to keep up the ruse, disconnects and holds the phone tightly, before turning to face Magnus in Valentine’s body, who’s shaking involuntarily with relief, eyes still focused on Alec, but wet, round tears dripping down scarred skin that’s just not right.

 

There’s a shadow of a smile when he speaks.

 

“I’m all for effort.”

 

Alec breathes out, the doubt gone.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr as 'maghnvsbane' <3


End file.
